


I like your smile

by sv962



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor being a good brother, Gavin Reed Not Being an Asshole, Gavin cares about RK900, M/M, Nines being insecure, Pre-Slash, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, Tina being a good friend, and just wanting to be accepted and loved, but still cannot wink properly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23414488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sv962/pseuds/sv962
Summary: Nines doesn't know how to integrate.exe and even Connor doesn't seem to ease his worries. Thanks rA9, there's Tina. Feat. Gavin-I can't wink-Reed.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 5
Kudos: 128





	I like your smile

Nines had a hard time understanding humans.

It’s not like he wasn’t trying, but he wasn’t programmed to socially integrate into the human society like his predecessor and he was equipped with rudimental social protocols. If he wanted to become a _functional member of society_ , he had to learn it “ _the traditional way_ ”, like any other human being.

And, _by rA9_ , if it was tough.

Blame it on his algid appearance, on his silver glare, but as he approached his colleagues in the restroom, everybody always stood still and immediately ran away.

At first, he didn’t even pay attention to that behavior.

He wanted to believe that his colleagues were actually busy with paperwork or new cases, suddenly called up on patrol to cover somebody else’s turn. But soon, that excuse was no longer believable, even if his brain hoped to do so and it was after a month of that so-called treatment that he decided to bring up the issue to Connor, despite his reluctance about that.

“I... have had an unsettling feeling for the last thirty days, and I hoped you could give me some advice on how to deal with said issue, considering you’ve been deviant far more than me and the general opinion of the office towards you is quite positive. My predictions show that the appreciation of your work is rated 78,8% and your presence usually soothes the stress levels of the office by 56%”.

Nines stood in front of his predecessor – _sometimes, he tried to call him brother, but he always felt a bit embarrassed of doing it in front of others_ , and tried to analyze the reaction of the android to his words.

Connor was paying attention, interested in his distress, LED circling yellow as he sweetly smiled with this tiny mouth, deep brown eyes giving him an affectionate glaze.

“Of course. I’d like to help you out with this. Whatever is troubling you, you just have to say it and we’ll find a solution”.

“My preconstruction software failed to find an answer, so I found it rather... irrational to ask for your help. But, yet, I wanted to hear your opinion. I thought I had gotten better at blending in – _as you put it_ , yet every time I try to integrate and make conversation, everyone just avoids me”.

He couldn’t really understand the reason.

Yes, he was taller than Connor and yes, his shoulders were a little broader.

But Gavin never considered that an issue.

Could it be that...?

“Do I look intimidating?”, Nines suddenly asked, before hearing the brother out.

Dark brown eyes studied him and he felt the weight of that glaze all upon his shoulders.

Was he being judged?, analyzed? They usually shared data, interfaced to share their lives, when Connor wanted to give Nines a part of him, the memories of Sumo’s fur, the smoothening feeling of petting the dog’s big head and fluffy body, the sweet smell of pancakes in the morning and all the everyday life that Nines could never have.

He was _so_ jealous of his brother.

And he damn knew that Connor could see that, and the more he knew he was being envied, the more he dispensed love for RK900.

“I don’t think you’re scary”.

Out of the blue, the answer dropped onto his head and Nines cheeks flushed blue, out of surprise and affection.

“There are no actual reasons to fear you, considering you are a threat no more to deviants. Also”, Connor winked at him, and his LED circled yellow, “The other 200,000 RK900 units were never built so you may say you’re as unique as me. Don’t let yourself down by thinking you’re scary. I actually find you cute”.

“ _Cute_ ”, remarked Nines.

“You think it’s strange?”

“I... guess it is. There’s nothing in me that can be labeled as much”

“I have to disagree. Your model is pretty, your appearance pleasing and even if you can’t smile, every time you are happy your LED displays a bright blue and your eyes raid off this hint of a chuckle. I find it pretty cute and adorable”.

Connor ruffled his hair in an affectionate gesture and gave him a hug despite being in the bullpen. Their colleagues must have spotted the moment of sweetness they shared, and Lieutenant Anderson smiled from his desk when he caught a glimpse of relief from the younger android’s face. RK wasn’t smiling, but his cheeks were more relaxed and the way he just returned the hug made his heart jump a beat.

***

The day after, Nines sat at his desk and accessed the terminal to write the report to the last case he and detective Reed worked on. It would have been a matter of five minutes but a hand tapped his left shoulder and he instantly dismissed his activities.

“Officer Chen”, he addressed the young woman in a note of surprise.

“Hey there, RK”

“If you’re searching for Detective Reed, he’s in the break-room. He’s taking his coffee break but considering he’s a man of routine, he’ll probably be back by 6,45 minutes–”

“Ah, yeah, yeah”, Tina rushed and cut off Nines before he could continue, “No need to worry about Gavin. I was searching for ya, after all”.

“Me?”

His LED circled yellow: it was the first time Tina reached out to him and didn’t care about the detectives’ whereabouts. Guessing what she could want from him was a daring challenge for his preconstruction software, _but it wouldn’t be_ _the first time it was failing him in front of human unpredictability_ , so he just stayed sitting on his chair, hands on knees, tilting his head of an angle, just like RK800 used to do.

“I know it’s not cute to say that, but I must admit that yesterday I kind of overheard you and Connor talking”.

Thirium almost reached his cheeks, but he tried to stop the automatic process before he could embarrass himself in front of a colleague – _he didn’t want to show his blushing to everyone_ _but he could feel something akin to human shame and shyness_. He felt the need to justify himself but didn’t really know what to say and felt stupid just to think about doubting of his own appearance.

Nines wanted to say something, make out an excuse, whatever it could have been, but his deviancy told him to just wait and hear officer Chen out before daring a move.

Tina seemed to fidget and as RK analyzed her, he could catch the same hints of agitation that have been troubling him in the last minutes. Her breath quickened and the eyes were constantly diverting from his silver gaze. It seemed like she was anxious about this conversation too.

Emotions were difficult: he had a whole databank of information about them but failed to put them together.

“I mean, I didn’t exactly plan on eavesdropping you but– I thought it was pretty cute to see that even a wall of concrete like you can show off insecurities like all of us. So, it crossed my mind that all of us didn’t really make an effort to understand how you felt. We just thought: _hey look, it’s Connor 2.0, fuck if it’s scary_ and, yep. That’s it. The only one who ever talks to you is Gavin and, you know, people think that only an instable mind or A.I. could bear being that close to him without developing some kind of suicidal or homicidal tendencies”.

RK stood still, trying to process what Tina was telling him.

Basically, people avoided him because they thought he was intimidating – _that, confirming his previsions_. Yet, the reason behind that line of thinking, was his closeness to detective Reed, their being partners and somehow getting along without killing each other.

That was quite an interesting development.

However, Tina didn’t seem done.

“So, I mean, it may sound strange to you but”, she pulled from her jacket’s pocket a little present and she handed it to the android, “As Gavin’s closest friend, I wanted to give you this as a token of my appreciation of your enduring with him. And, if you want, you can consider this as a symbol of the affection that we all have towards you. You’re scary, but thanks to you, that asshole of a detective is less irritable than he has been in the last years. We all owe you one”.

Nines shivered and this time, he couldn’t hold back the thirium that flushed to his cheeks. His face was stirred and serious but his cheeks were cerulean blue and his mouth was slightly fidgeting, hardly trying to work out a smile but ending into something akin to a smirk. Taking the present into his slender hands, he could feel the facture of the paper and the softness of the satin cyan ribbon.

It was so perfectly wrapped that it was a pity opening it.

He inhaled an unnecessary breath and humbly thanked Tina before opening it, feeling on his shoulders the analyzing and affectionate gaze of his brother, that relinquished his paperwork to study his reaction. Within the box, there was a little pot with a 2-inch fake succulent.

“A plastic plant for a plastic cop”, Gavin’s comment came from the desk across Nines’ but there was no mischief in the way he laughed, “Look who earned his first present. That’s gonna make a nice figure on your desktop, Robocop”.

Nines closed his eyes for a moment and touched the plant.

He could have corrected the detective, telling him that it wasn’t made of plastic but rubber and silicone, that the small pot was 97% ceramic and the terrain that hosted the fake roots was glued sand, 56% shattered and then colored glass, but he refused to argue with him. He instead turned to Tina and held the plant between his hands, as if he was protecting it.

“I’ll be cherishing this token of appreciation with the utmost affection. Thank you very much, officer Chen”, he said blushing, “I know it must be hard to believe that for you, but... it surprised me and made me very happy”.

He stared at her but something didn’t feel right. There was a wanton to do more, lingering in his heart.

Gavin chuckled and made a noise with his mouth while closing both his eyes. _Did he just attempt and fail at winking?_

Nines gulped and this time, his uncertainty could be read all over his face. His mouth frowned and his software worked hard as his LED circled yellow.

“Thank you very much”, he repeated, and in an attempt, he tried to replicate his brother’s wink.

Tina startled, stuttering and speechless, and for a moment Nines feared he could have ruined something and messed up, causing the _uncanny valley_ feeling that humans had around androids. Yet, he tried to give the time to the officer to realize what just happened and before he could say anything, Tina just made a tiny squeal, bringing her hand in front of the lips before screaming.

“Oh my God”, she bit her nails, “You’re such a... sweet bean”.

“What happened?”, the android tilted his head, asking for directions as he was witnessing the most uncommon reaction in front of his own eyes, but Tina just caressed his hair, feeling the softness of the texture, and gave him another smile.

Gavin studied the scene and waited for his friend to leave and RK to return at his desk before speaking.

“Heh, looks like you’ve earned a fan”, said with his feet on the desk, briefing the details of a new case on his tablet, “Now that your façade is literally gone, that’s coming back to you, you know? They’re gonna come at you or stare your pretty face from the distance for minutes”.

“I don’t think officer Chen has a romantic interest in me”

“Of course not. But she called you _sweet bean_. Don’t expect to be ignored from now on. She literally told you she thinks you’re cute”

RK hesitated, then stared at Gavin, his face bubbling with uncertainty.

“I didn’t detect any micro-expressions of lie on his face when she talked to me. Her stress levels were low. Do you think she managed to bypass my analysis and somehow lied to me?”

Gavin burst into a laugh before giving him an affectionate look: “Don’t worry, Nines. She was just excited. Same fondness she’d nourish for a 3-months kitten”.

Nines stared at Gavin then dropped his gaze to the small succulent.

“Detective Reed... I was meant to ask you this question. What do you think of me?”

“Excuse me, I throw insults at you in every moment of the day. What’s the point in asking?”

“Just wanted you to tell me something I don’t know”.

Gavin stared back and he almost chuckled, “ _Phckin’ android_ ”, murmured and he stilled a few seconds before returning the gaze, “Well. I guess it’s not an everyday occasion you get to tell a walking super-computer something he doesn’t know or– he isn’t aware of”.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah”, replied Gavin, “You’re a stubborn, enormous, freakin’ cute pain in the ass. Just don’t go asking others for confirmation”.

Nines held his breath, LED circling yellow and, finally, blue.

“T-Thank you”, he stuttered, glitching in the attempt to hold back his blush, in front of being called _cute_ by the detective.

Gavin stared back, a hint of emotion in his eyes, but instead of replying, he opened an app on his tablet and typed something. He then gave it to the android and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Coffee break”

“But you went there ten minutes ago–”

“Coffee break”, remarked Gavin.

Nines failed to understand the behavior at first, but as he glanced over the tablet, he caught a glimpse of a string of binary code written on a box.

> **_01001001 00100000 01101100 01101001 01101011_ ** **_01100101_ ** **_00100000_ **
> 
> **_01111001 01101111_ ** **_01110101 01110010_ ** **_00100000_ **
> 
> **_01110011 01101101 01101001 01101100 01100101_ **

Connor leaned over from his desk and exchanged a worried look with his brother, but Nines rewarded him with a difficult smile before sitting again and turning his cheeks blue, contrasting the red whirling of the LED.

Maybe Detective Reed– _Gavin_ didn’t hate him.

At least, not his smile.

 **G** _avin_ **^**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading! I hope you liked the story!  
> I wanted to thank you all also for the support, the kudos and the comments on "Strawberry Milkshake"! It was a sweet surprise, you're super-kind ♥  
> See you soon with other stories featuring the boys™!


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